Wheaton police officer Neil Waldschmidt shows how the computer screen can be swung out of the way to get at other items in the dashboard. The interior is also larger and more easily configured, he says.Scott Sanders | Staff Photographer

Wheaton police officers show off their new squad car, a Dodge Charger. It has features not possible on their old Ford Crown Victorias, and the new paint scheme follows the curves of the car body, as pointed out by Lt. Robert Miller.Scott Sanders | Staff Photographer

Wheaton police officer Neil Waldschmidt shows how the 2-way radio equipment in the trunk is on a slide out tray which makes it easier and faster for the radio technicians to get at the gear for repairs.Scott Sanders | Staff Photographer

The Lake County sheriff's office is slowly replacing its fleet of aging Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Impalas with more powerful and eye-catching Dodge Chargers.Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer

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He also knows anything that gets people talking with police officers is a good thing.

"We stress community policing," said McNichol, who got one of the department's new Chargers about four weeks ago and loves the car. "And this is a great opportunity to get out and meet the public."

Several suburban police departments are turning to the Charger Pursuit, which is made by Chrysler, as their next-generation cruiser.

The purchases are happening now because Ford, which long has dominated the U.S. police car business, stopped accepting orders for the popular Crown Victoria Police Interceptor last year.

Police departments in Algonquin, Palatine, Wheaton, Wauconda and Hawthorn Woods are among those that have added Chargers to their fleets. Illinois State Police troopers drive them, too.

In Lake County, Chargers are slowly replacing a fleet of aging Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Impalas.

Twelve Chargers already are on the road, and 20 more are awaiting in-car video systems before joining the motor pool, sheriff's police Chief Wayne Hunter said.

Eight more will be delivered over the next two years for a total of 40.

Like McNichol, Hunter is a big fan of the Charger -- and the positive reaction from the public is a big factor.

"No matter where they go, people stop (the deputies) and compliment them on their cars," Hunter said. "For me, you can't put money on that."

Sedan or muscle car?

In a process that began last year, sheriff's administrators settled on the Dodge after deputies tested it and patrol cars based on three other models: the Chevrolet Impala, the Chevrolet Caprice and the Ford Taurus.

Chrysler started making a version of the Charger specifically for police in 2006. It began marketing the vehicle as the Charger Pursuit in 2011.

Chrysler won't disclose sales figures for the Charger Pursuit.

Even though it's a four-door car like traditional police cruisers, the Charger looks more like a 1970s muscle car than a family sedan.

The front and rear windshields both are sloped greater than those on the Crown Victoria, and the front end has more bulk than a traditional sedan.

The Wheaton Police Department has three Charger Pursuits with V-6 engines in their fleet. Deputy Chief Thomas Meloni said the cars handle the road well and are roomy enough for officers and all their gear.

The Chargers are also more fuel-efficient than the older squad cars, Meloni said, and that's a big positive for him.

"It's saving us a lot of money in fuel," he said.

Lake County sheriff's deputies will drive Chargers with V-8 engines. Chargers with V-6 engines will be used as command vehicles.

Last fall, a Charger Pursuit V-8 recorded the fastest lap time in the history of the annual Michigan State Police vehicle tests.

"The performance cannot be beat," said Jiyan Cadiz, a product communications manager with Chrysler.

Some concerns exist

The Charger isn't without problems.

Earlier this year, Chrysler recalled nearly 10,000 Charger police specials because of headlight-failure concerns. The recall also covered a different problem the company said could lead to a loss of the vehicle's anti-lock braking and stability control systems.

Consumer models of the Charger made in 2011 and this year have been recalled, too.

Those problems have kept some suburban departments from ordering Chargers for their fleet.

When it was time for Lincolnshire police to search for new squad cars, Sgt. Jamie Watson surveyed local departments and heard complaints about the Charger's mechanical reliability.

Watson has recommended his department go with the new Ford Police Interceptor, a model based on the Taurus.

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